Page 24 of Wraith
Chapter Twenty-Three
Idon’t tiehim back up this time. Instead, I take the knife he had and stash it along with the pistol I found. I get myself situated on the bed once again—my perch to look down on him still passed out. I wanted to plunge the knife right into his throat, but I couldn’t do it. Just like master said, I’m not ready. He said I would crumble under the pressure, and he was right.“You will not be able to kill him, Sobaka. You will think you can, but when it comes down to it, you will falter. You will falter, and you will fail. He will get the upper hand and kill youhimself.”
Groaning pulls me from master’s echoing words and I see him rolling to his side. “You are going to have to stop hitting me in the head, tiger. You may be causing some serious brain damage.” He sits up, looking himself over before his eyes connect with mine. I can see the surprise in his gaze as he moves his hands confirming he is no longer bound. “I have more rope.” I shrug but offer no words, not ready to give him the satisfaction. “Don’t want to talk yet I see.” Slowly he stands to his feet and starts for the door. I don’t say a word as he grips a heavy coat in his hands and slings it over his shoulders before moving my pitiful barricade out of the way and disappears outside. Panic rushes through me when it takes him nearly three minutes to come back but when the knob starts to move and the door is pulled open, revealing his strong steady frame, I let out a breath. Even with the blood loss and clear stunt to his body, he is still more than capable of overpowering me. The fact that other parts of him were still working perfectly underneath me as I held him to the floor didn’t escape me either. The memory of him pressing against me comes back with a hot shiver wracking my body. Just thinking about it makes my cheeks heat, but I force it away. That is not why I’m here nor is it something I can even considerentertaining.
“Did you get something to eat?” he asks, shuffling about the kitchen as if he hasn’t been knocked out twice by me or hasn’t been shot, nearly losing his life in the process. His sarcasm and light-hearted outlook on things is almost endearing. The coat he donned before going outside is now off, showcasing his muscled back underneath his tee shirt. I watch in fascination as the muscles shift under the fabric, finding my eyes drifting further down to where his jeans hug his perfectly toned thighs. Oh, and the— “Is there something on my butt?” He turns to face me, mischief in his tone, he smirks at me as he carries two cans toward me. Extending one, I take it in and find its peaches. “Fork?” He offers the utensil and settles down onto the bed next to me, making the springs creak with theaction.
“I don’t like peaches,” I state. He just shakes his head and stuffs a whole peach from his can into his mouth. The juice drips from his lips and disappears into the scruff on his chin before he wipes it away with hisforearm.
“Then I’ll eat ‘em,” he tells me, swiping the can from my hands. I watch as he finishes off his own then starts on mine. “Can’t believe you don’t like peaches,” he grumbles between bites. “I could eat them every day, every hour of the day.” He turns my way and winks again. “Bet yours wouldtaste—”
“If you value your balls, you will not finish that sentence,” I hiss, glaring at him as helaughs.
“Relax, tiger. Just trying to get a rise out of you.” He winks again and finishes the peaches before walking over to the kitchen to take care of the empty cans. Then he stops and looks at me. “You ready to talkyet?”
“No.”
“Suit yourself. But I’m warning you, you only have twenty-four hours. Then I’m leaving. The storm should break soon and I plan on getting the hell out of here. Whether you come with me or kill me, is up toyou.”
“What storm?” I scramble from the bed and pull the blanket from the window to find the sun blacked out from the harsh wind and snow. Does it ever stop snowing on thismountain?
“Your choice,” he says again as I let the blanket fall back into place. I turn back to see him now lying on the bed getting comfortable.My choice. When was the last time I was given one ofthose?
